Folding brace



2 Sheets-Sht 1.

(No Model.)v

. I. 0. HARSH. FOLDING BRAC-E.

No. 532,058. ,55.555555 Jan. 8. 1895.

2 HW SA bR MB E m (No Model.)

Patented Jan. 8, 1895.

u UNITEDA STATESv .zen of the United States,

PATENT OFFICE..

IsAIAn o. HARSH, on CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FOLDING BRMJE.V

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 532,058, dated January 8, 1895.

Application filed January 14,1893. SerialN'o. 458,423, (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ISAIAH O. HARsH, a citiresiding at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Braces; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in whichf Figure lis a sectional elevation showing the parts attached to a storm window and window casing, the full lines showing the bracolocked with the storm window closed, and the dotted lines showing thebrace locked with the storm window open. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the brace open. Fig. 3 is an edge View showing the brace open. Fig 4 is an edge view showing the brace closed and turned to its locking position. Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing the brace closed and turned in its locking position. Fig. 6 is a side elevation showing the brace in position to be opened out. Fig. 7 is a detail in section showing the relation between the two stationary pivots of the brace. Fig. 8 is a detail being a side view of the locking plate -between the connected ends of the two bars or sections of the brace. Fig. 9 is a top view of the locking plate. Fig. 10 is a detail in section showing the lateral relation between the pivots of the two bars or sections of the brace. Fig. 11 is a detail of the hinge for th"e sash. f

i The object of this invention is to construct a brace which can be locked in both an open and closed position, and which will act tov draw the parts to which it is attached tightly together, and which will also prevent any release of the lock until the position of the brace is changed to release .the lock and allow the brace to open'out,'and to improve generally the construction andoperation of the brace as a whole; and its nature consists in the several parts and combinations of parts hereinafter described and pointed out as new.

In the drawings the brace is shown in connection with a storm window, but it can be used for other windows, covers, doors, that are not to be open continuously, and in other places where it is desired to have an openin g of one part from another and have the parts vwhen closed locked firmly and tightly together.

A represents the sash of a storm or other window, of the usual construction.

B, is a plate screwed or otherwise secured to the side rail of the sash A, and having an ear b. l

C is a barforming one section or portion of the brace and pivoted at one end by a suitable pin or pivot a to the ear ZJ. D is another bar forming the other section or portion of the brace, and pivoted at one end to the end o'f the bar C by a suitable pin or pivot c, and the other end of the bar D is pivoted to the side p iece'of the casing or the outer stop of the window sash proper by a suitable pin or pivot d. The relation between the pivot a and the pivot d is one by which the pivot a will pass the pivot d, with the folding of the parts of the brace and turning the brace when folded on the pivots, and bring the two pivots out of line furnishing a lock for the brace when closed and turned, and at the same time the movement of the pivot a past the pivot d produces a draw on the sash by which the sash is forced tightly against the edge of the window casing stop.

` The pivot d by whichthe barD is secured to the window casing or stationary part, is

nearer-to the pivot c than is the pivot a. Now as will be seen when the brace is swung downward to the locking position they, the bars, of course turn on their respective pivots, but as the pivot d is stationary it causes the pivot a to travel in a circle d to a point cquidistant above before. turned to the -locking position, thus raising the sash or `swinging part so as to clear any small impediment on the-sill.

E is a plate interposed between the adjacent ends of the bars C and D and secured in position by the pivot c, and this plate, on its outer edge, has two lugs or projections, e and e', turned in opposite directions,- so that one lug, c, will engage the edge of thebar C, and the other lug, e', will engage the edge of the bar D, when the two bars are opened out, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, locking the joint between the two bars so that the center cannot be passed when the brace is opened.

F is a plate between the attached ends C from the pivot as'it was below IOO lform flanges f and f sides of the plate, for one flange, f, to engage and D, and held in position by the pin or pivot a, and this plate has its edges turned to the bar C, and the other flange, f', to engage the bar D, when the bars are closed and turned in their locking posit-ion.

G is the outer stop or guard of the window frame, to which is secured by the pivot d, one end of the bar D.

His a hinge attaching the sash A to the window frame, a hinge being used at each side or end of the top of the sash. This hinge H is formed with a leaf h, having a turned portion, h', which can be brought beneath the under side of the stop or guard of the window frame and there secured by a screw, as shown in Fig. l, and with a leaf, i, having a turned portion, t', which can be brought to the inner face of the top rail of the sash A, and there secured by screws or otherwise, so that the hinge can be attached from the inside, securing the sash in place, without the necessity of any outside work.

The sash A is attached to the window frame by the hinges H, or in any other suitable inanner, so as to swing open at the bottom as is the practice with storm windows. The bar C is pivoted to the ear b, by the pin or pivot a, and the plate F is attached in position by this same pivot to have its flan ge f overlie the edge of the bar C, and its (lange f to overlie the edge of the bar D. `The plate E is placed in position at the end of the bar C, and this plate and the bar D arev attached to the bar C by the pin or pivot c, so that the projection e of the plate E will overlie the edge ot' the bar C, and the projection e will overlie the edge of th'e bar D, when the bars C and D are opened out, and the brace is the-n readyfor attachment to the sash and to the window frame, which is accomplished by attaching the plate B to the sash A, and securing the end of the bar D to the stop Gr or the window frame by the pin or pivot d, interposing the washer g between the bar and the stop or frame, and when secured to the sash A and the stop or casing of the window, the brace is ready for use in opening and closing the window.

In use, to close and lock the sash, the bars C and D are turned on the pivot connections between the two parts, bringingthem into the position shown in Fig. 6, and the brace is then turned downward, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, forming a lock against the opening of the sash A, and also through the eccentric action of the pivots a and d, drawing the parts closely together, and in turning the brace down the bar D, owing to its less length, acts as a lever to raise the sash slightly and clear any small impediments there may be on the window sill, and when the brace is turned down the sash A is eectually locked and held against openinguntil the brace is raised into the position shown in Fig. 6, wheny the sash A can be hrown out, as shown by the dotted lines in standing on opposite v The pivot a and the pivot d being out of line laterally, and the pivot d being immovable and always in the same position, it will be seen that as the bars C and D are swung to a locking position the pivot a is drawn toward the pivot d so that the two centers come practically opposite each other, the result beingthat in swinging on these centers or pivots an eccentric action is had which tends to draw the sash or other movable part to which the brace is attached toward the window casing or stationary part to which the brace is attached, making a very close tight joint; and by having one stationary pivot of the bars C and D out of line transversely` with the other, one bar is foreshortened to the extent of the difference vbetween the centers of the two pivots, and by this arrangement as the brace is swung around a lifting action is had by the foreshortened bar, which will lift or raise the sash so as to pass any snow, ice or other small impediment on the window sill. The catch between the pivoted ends of the twobars operates to lock the bar when the brace is opened out and prevents the two bars from passing the center except in one direct-ion, which direction is the one by which the bars can be turned so as to close the brace, and the catch at the stationary end ofthe bars when the brace is closed operates to bring the two centers practically in linelaterally by the engagement of the langes of the catch with the edges of the bars, but

in releasing the lock to open the brace the catch will swing with they movement of the brace and pass aroundl one center so' as to be free and clear and allow one part of the brace to swing around over the other, and by this arrangement the catch is engaged with the throwing of the bars forming the brace into locking position, and is released with the throwing of the bars into position for the brace to open. The necessary spring by which the centers pass each other eccentrically, is permitted by the yield of the parts, and as the centers pass, or come into the same line practically, against the other so that all that is required in order to lock the brace when closed, is to turn the bars for the pivots or centers to pass and have one center or pivot lock against the other. It will thus be seen that the brace is double loc-king, that is, it will lock when closed and will lock when open,- and this selflocking in both directions is had entirely through the opening and closing of the bars forming the brace in connection with the pivot or centers for such bars.

The brace can be used for storm andother windows which have a hinged attachment at one end or side so as to swing open at the opposite end or side, and ity can be used with doors which are to be opened partially and locked when open, and it can be used for the covers to vaults or openings beneath a sidewalk which are to be partially opened and there locked, and it can be used in connection with a movable part and a stationary part,

one pivot or center is locked IOO IIO

bar A.

where the movable part is to be swung away Vfrom the stationary part, and by its use when to which the flange is engaged with the edge of this bar is stationary, and4 the plate E is attached to the end of the Dar C by the pivot a, the pivot a is drawn toward the pivot d, drawing the end of the bar A therewith and forcing the sash or other part against the casing stop or other stationary part, and the angef can be dispensed with, if so desired, as it only serves as a guide for the end of the What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- 4 t l. The combination in a folding brace of two bars pivoted at their inner ends one to the other and an interposed plate carried by the pivot for the inner ends of the two bars,

` and having stops on the plate standing in opother and each having posite directions and engaging the edges of the two bars for holding the bars against passing the center when the brace is open, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. The combination in a folding brace of two bars pivoted at the inner ends one to the a pivotal connection at the outer end for attachment one to a fixed jand the other to a movable part and a catch carried by one of the pivots for the outer end of the brace, engaging the edges of the two bars when the brace is closed and swinging clear of such engagement in opening the brace, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. The combination in a folding brace, of

two bars pivoted one to the other at their inner ends, and an interposed catch between the inner ends of the two bars carried by the pivot and having one edge turned to stand in opposite directions to engagethe edges of the two bars when the brace is open, substantially as and for the purposes specified. t

4. The combination in a folding brace, of

two bars pivoted at their inner ends one to l the other, an interposed catch between the inner ends of the two bars carried by the pivot and engaging each bar when the brace is open, a pivotal connection for the outer end of each bar, and a catch carried by the pivotal connection at the outer end of one bar, brought into engagement with the edges of both bars in folding and turning the brace, for drawingl the pivot connections out of line and locking the brace when closed, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5. The combination with a hinged sash of a locking brace consisting of two bars pivoted one to the other, a pivot connection of one bar to the sash, a pivot connection of the other bar to a stationary support, an interposed catch between the pivoted ends of the two bars and a catch at the stationary end of the bar, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

6. The combination with a stationary part and a movable part, of a folding brace, consisting of two bars pivoted at their inner ends one to the other and attached at their outer ends by a pivotal connection one to a stationary and the other to a movable part, a catch for the pivot at the inner ends of the bars and a catch for the outer ends of the bars which is onthe bar C and is brought into engagement with the bar D by folding and turning the brace to lock the brace when closed, substantially as and for the purposes specitied.

ISAIAH O. HARSH.l 

